Machine for counting sheets



Aug. 30, 1927.

'c'. L. BURD1CK MACHINE FOR COUNTING SHEETS Filed July 14, s Sheets-Sheet 1 A 3 1927' c. L; BURDICK MACHINE FOR COUNTING SHEETS Filed July 1923 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 30, 1927.

c. L. BuRfitcK MACHINE FOR COUNTING SHEETS Filed July 14, 192; 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 652216722507 CfmrZejlBzzrd/cfi Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

jcnmn'ns .BURDICK, or wooi) GREEN LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINE roncoUNTme SHEETS.

Application filed July 14, 1923, Serial No. 651,489,- and inGreatBri tain July 29, 1922.

My invention relates toa machinefor counting. flexible sheets, particularly currency notes, but thesame may be 'usedfor counting paper sheets, envelopes, etc.

One of the general objects ofmyinvention is to provide a machine capable of counting and packeting' flexible sheets aocurately and at a-high rate of speed.

Av further specific object of the invention to is to provide improved feeding means which will insure the feedofonly a single sheet at a time. The present machine is primarily designed for counting and packetingcurrency bills or notes, in banks, mints, and

. industrial establishments, and it is therefore of the utmost importance that therebe no possibilityof error on. the part of-the feeding mechanism so that no" more than one bill will be fed at a time.

A further object is to provide improved mechanism for counting the sheets. In the preferred embodiment this is accomplishedby drawing each sheettaut-as itis movel past thecounting mechanism whereby shee to automaticallyv interrupt the feeding andcounting operations after fifty, one-hundred,

or any other A number of Sheetshave been counted and are ready forpacketingf Other objects will be apparent from the ment of my invention; this description making reference to the accompanying drawings in which.:-. t

Fig. --1 is a-side elevational view of the preferred form of my machine; V

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof; 1

Fig. L is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5is an enlarged detail sectional view of the automatic throw-out driving wheel; and Y of the machine is another. receptacle or following description-of a preferred 'embodi-- Fi 6' is an enlarged. detail sectional view of t ecounting mechanism and .tripping wheel. g

The frame of the machine is built up of two side frame plates.8-8', having diagonal le s 9 at each end thereof for supporting t e frame. A plurality of transverse brace rods extend between the two frame plates 8, as shown in Fig. 3, these rods having their ends suitably secured to these frame plates as by welding, riveting, or screwing.

:Supported at the upper left hand end of the frame is a receptacle or hopper 11 for receiving the uncounted pile of sheets or bills, and supported at the right hand end hopper 12 for receiving the counted sheets orbills. The sheets or bills are fed from the hopper 11 by a feeding roller .13 which v is mounted on a shaft 14'supported in the frameplates 8 under the end of the 7 hopper 11.' The machine may be either. pow'eroperated or hand operated, the latter being preferable for small banks and industrial establishments. In the hand operated embodiment shown, a hand crank 15 is mounted on a shaft 16 which is journaled in'the frame plates 8, and rigidly secured to this shaft outside of 'the front frame plate is a driving wheel 17 This driving wheel transmits its driving rotation to a n6 small driving wheel 18, which in turn drives another wheel 19 mounted on the transverse shaft-21. The drive -is frictional between all three driving Wheels. The two wheels 17 and 19 are tapered correspondingly, with their smaller diameters outside; while the intermediate wheel 18 is tapered in the opposite direction with its smallest diameter to the inside. The intermediate wheel 18 is h'eld in driving engagement with the wheels 17 and 19 while the count continues; after the predetermined number of sheets or bills have been counted this intermediate driving wheel is tripped out of driving engagementby the automatic operation of a detent member which I shall presently described, whereby the driving train is broken between the crank 15 and the feeding roller 13 so that no more sheets or bills are fed from the rece tacle 11.- This driving train is 1 continue from' the driving wheel 19 in alignment for simultaneous movement up' through a plurality of slots 27 in the bottom of the hopper or receptacle 11'. For currency notes of ordinary size, I have shown four of these feeding projections 26 spaced equidistantly across the length of the roller;

this number of projections being increased or diminished as desired, depending upon the size of the sheets being fed. Each revolution of the roller 13' thus advances .the bottom sheet into the feeding throat 28 at the forward end of the receptacle 11.- throat is constructed of upper and lower plates, the upper platehaving a plurality of spaced slots 31 cut at equidistant points across its width. Extending across the upper plate of this throat 28 is a feed-back This can still be transmitted to the roller 32 from the shaft 21 when the roller is either raised or depressed. This is accomplished by a small idler gear 43, which is pivoted at an intermediate point on the link 36 and meshes with the spur gear 22 driven by the shaft 21. It also meshes with a small gear 44 having rigid driving connection with .the roller 32'through the shaft 34. When the roller 32 is raised, it permits the ready feed of the 'l'owersheet forwardly through the throat 28, but when this roller is lowered down into the throat it engages and feeds back into the hopper 11 all sheets in excess of the single bottom sheet selected by the feeding roller 13. Y

The sheet issues from the end of the throat 28 between a pair of contacting rollers 45' and 46. The lower roller 46 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 21 so that it is driven in the clockwise'direction indicated from the driving rotation imparted to the outer driving wheel 19. The upper roller 45 is arranged to run free on a shaft 47,.this upper roller having peripheral portions 48 which are disposed in the recesses between the enlarged pe'ripheral'po'rtions 33 on the feed-back roller 32. This matching relationship between the enlarged peripheral portions of the two rollroller 32, which is I rotated in a direction ers 32 and45 will be seen from Fig. 2. The

counter to the direction of feeding motion of the bills through the throat 28. roller is formed with enlarged peripheral portions 33, which extend down through the slots 31 into close proximity to the lower plate 30 of the throat 28.

The shaft 34 of this feed-back roller 32,

extends through vertically. enlarged openings in the frame plates 8 so that both ends of the shaft can be raised and lowered simultaneouslyfor raising or depressing the peripheral portions 33 in the slots 31. Each end of the shaft 34is-carried in a triangular. frame 35 consisting of the link 36, extending down for pivotalv support on the shaft 21,

' the other diagonal link 37 extending down towards the feeding roller 13, and the cross .connecting link 38 extending between the shaft 21 and the link 37. The link 37 has an extending end which carries a pin or roller 39 bearing in a cam groove 41 in the side of a cam wheel42. The cam wheel 42 is rigidly secured to the shaft 14 with the cam drive 41 of the cam wheel so timed with respect to the feeding projections26 on the feeding roller 13.that the frame 35 and feed back roller 32 will be-momentarily raised when the feeding projections start the bill or sheet out through the. throat 28. A

duplicate frame 35 and cam wheel 42 is, of course, provided on the other side of the machine for rocking up the other end of r the shaft 34. The swinging motion of the frames 35' and the roller 32 is around the shaft 21 as a pivot, so that rotational motion This enlarged peripheral portions 48 of the roller 45 bear against the lower roller 46 with a resilient pressure, so as to secure the feed of the sheets between'these rollers.

From these receiving rollers 45 and 46, the sheet is fed forwardly between, an upper guide plate 51 and a lower counting or detecting plate 52. The upper guide plate 51 is stationary, but the lower counting plate 52 is provided with end pivot lugs 53'adjacent its rear edge which have pivotal support on a transverse pivot rod 54. A coiled spring 55 is wound around the pivot rod 54 at each side of the machine, and has one end bearing in a hole in the frame plate 8, and the other end bearing under the counting plate 52, so as to normally hold this plate in the elevated position shown in F ig. 3. Any suitable stop pins orthe like may be employed for stopping the upward swinging motion of this plate 52 at the position shown. As the sheet is fed forwardly between the plates 51 and 52, it is deflected downwardly so as to bend tacle or hopper '12.

"ers56 and 57. It will sheets are fed down into the receivin rec'e The upperen of t e receptacle 12 is secured between the frame plate 8-8 by pins or rivets 59 which support the receptacle in the inclinedposition shown. The front end of the hopper 12 is open, and the two side walls are provided with slots 61 for permitting the nnamed tape ,62 to be drawn snugly around the packet of sheets or bills in the receptacle 12. The gummed tape is drawn from a spool or reel 63 which is pivotally supported on a pivot pin 64 extending from a bracket 65. This bracket 65 is supported oh astrap 66 which is twisted and extended laterally for attachment to the outer side wall of the receptacle 12. Before sheets or bills are delivered into the receptacle 12, the gummed tape is laid across the bottom of the receptacle in the slots 61--61, so that after the desired number of sheets have been delivered into the receptacle, theends of the tape can be drawn up and over. the top of the packet. a

The counting operation performed .by

drawing taut that portion of each sheet whichis passing from the pair of receiving rollers and 46to the air of delivery rollhe observed that the line of intersection between the rolls 56 and 57 is on substantially the same horizontal plane as the line'of intersection between the rolls 45 and 46; and that the-counting plate 52 is, in its normal position, swung up through this horizontal plane so as to have its upper edge considerably above-this plane. It will hence be seen that if the sheet or bill is drawn taut in spanning the interval between the rolls 45-46 and56-57, the-elevated edge of this resilient plate will be depressed. In order to draw each sheet or bill taut in passing between these two pairs of rollers, the delivery rollers are rotated at a higher peripheral speed so that they impose a tension on the sheet and tend to draw it frombetweentherollers 4 5 and 46 at a greater velocity than the peripheral velocity of these rollers 45 and 46. This differential speed is obtained by properly proportioningthe drivfngwheels 17 and 19 relative to their respective rollers 57 and 46, so that/by the time each sheet has traveled through both pairs of rollers, some portion of the-length of th sheet has been drawn sufficiently taut to depress the detecting plate 52 through an a actuating impulse. As soon as the trailing end of the sheet has passed from between the rollers 45 and 46, the detecting plate 52 swlngs up into the position shown for re ceiving an actuating impulse from the next succeeding sheet.

Referring to Fig. 6, one side of the counting or detecting plate 52 has a pivotal lug 68 on which is pivoted a toothed pawl 69.

- A suitable spring 71 retains the toothed end ofv the pawl 69 in th ratchet wheel v72 of a counter 73. This counter is vmounted by means ofa suitable bracket 74 on the front .7 frame late8 Thus, with eachdepression of the etecting plate 52 the counter 7 3 will be advanced one unit through the actuation of thepavitlq69. If desired, the counter 73 a eomprisea temporaryire'gister and a totalizing register, and'may have any suitable resetting-means."' The automatic, throwout mechanism for interrupting the operation of .the machine "after a predetermined number of sheets or bills have been counted and delivered intothe packetin receptacle 12 is actuated from the counter s aft 75. Mounted on this shaft 75 is a one-tooth Geneva gear" 76 which is adapted to mesh once each revolution of'the counter shaft with a cooperating Geneva gear 77 mounted on a lower stubshaft 78.-

volve through one complete'revolution for any predetermined multiple of ten. In theconstruction shown the gear 77 hasten tooth pockets, whichywould mean. that'this gear 159 would rotate through one complete revolu tion for every one hundred sheets counted, ii"

Mounted on the front face of theGen v gear 77 are a plurality of tripp ng pins 79. These pins are pivotally mounted on the face of the gear 77 and each of these pins oiglu-gs.

is provided with a fixed 'stop pin 8I-"a projecting from the face of the gear 7 7 again'st..

which the lug 79 is adapted to bear when the lug is swung out into its operative radial-jposition. Cooperating with each lug 79 is spring arm 82, the end of which is adapted to engage in one of two recesses 83 formed inthe hub 79 of the lug. When the spring arm 1-:

82 is in the recess shown, thevlug 79 is 1,

tained in its outer radial position up against:

the stop pin 82. By swinging the lug 79 F inwardly, to engage the spring arm 82 in the other recess, the lug is held in an inoperative position,-as indicated in dotted lines. There.

may be two such lugs located at diametrically opposite points of the gear for interrupting the count at-th end of fifty; or a plurality of such lugs'may be provided at different I points around the gear for interrupting the count at the end of 25 or any other number. These tripping lugs are adapted to engage and depress the upper end of a trip-out lever 84 which is pivoted at 85 to the side, frame plate of the machine. The lower end of the lever 84 rides in a groove 86 forming part of the intermediate driving wheel 18. As shown in Fig. 5, this wheel is assembled upon a sleeve 87 which is mounted on a tubular stud 88 screwed into the side frame plate 8. A compression spring 89 is confined in the central bore of the stud 88, and normally tends to push the sleeve 87 and driving wheel 18 outwardly along the stud and out of driving connection with the wheels 17 and 19. A stop screw 91 passes through a'slot 92 in the sleeve 87 and taps into the stud'88 for limiting this outward motion of the drive wheel 18. The sleeve 87 is provided with two flanges or collars 93 and 94, between which the rotatable portion 95 of the driving wheel is confined. This rotatable portion is tapered to correspond with the taper of the driving wheels 17 and 19, and has a frictional driving surface of fiber, rubber or the like, confined in a metallic annulus.

The sleeve 87 is formed with a coned rise 96 just in back of the groove 86 so as to facilitate resetting the driving wheel 18. A suitable spring 97 tends to hold the lower end of the trip-out arm 84 in the groove 86. It will be apparent that when one of the lugs Z9 engages and depresses the upper end of the lever 84, the rocking motion of this lever will clear the groove 86 and permit the spring 89 to thrust the-driving wheel out of engagement with its cooperating driving wheels 17 and 19, thereby interrupting the drive to the feeding and receiving rollers. After ithe packet ust counted has been bound, the machine is restored to operative conditions for a new count by merely depressing the outer end'of the driving wheel 18 to cam the lever 84 up along the rise 96 and permit it to snap down into the groove rollers 45 and 46. If more than one sheet has been fed forwardly by the feeding roller, the additional sheet or sheets will be engaged by this feed-back roller 32 when the latter descends into the throat, and this additional sheet or sheets will be impelled back into the receptacle 11 by reason of the reverse rotation of the feed-back roller 32. When the feedback roller is in its lowest position, its periphery just clears the bottom sheet selected by the feeding roller. From the receivin rollers 45 and 46 the sheet is fed forwar 1y. over the detecting'plate 52 and down into the bite of the delivery rollers 56 and 57. By reason of the higher peripheral velocity of these latter rollers, the sheet will be drawn taut between the two pairs of rollers, as has been heretofore described, thereby depressing the plate 52. Owingto the fact that both rollers 45 and 56 are free and are only driven through their peripheral contact with their companion rollers or with the sheet, there is practically .no possibility oftearing the sheet or bill in the act of drawing it taut between the pairs of rollers, From the delivery rollers 56 and 57, the sheet is discharged into the packeting hopper 12, where each packet is taped up by the adhesive tape 62. The downard impulse of the late 52 is transmitted to the counter 73, w ere the number of sheets or bills is re istered. After a predetermined number of discharged into the packeting receptacle 12, one of the lugs 79 trips out the lever 84 and permits the intermediate driving wheel 18 to snap out of driving engagement with the wheels 17 and 19, thereby immediately interrupting the rotation of the feedin roller 13 and receiving rollers 47 and 46. n the act -of tripping out the leverage 4, the lug 79 rotates past the end of the lever so that the lever can swing up into normal position in back of the lug when the driving wheel 18 is pressed inwardly to restore the machine to driving relation.

I do not intend to be limited to the particular details herein shown and described.

1. In a machine of the class described, a counter shaft, a counter mounted thereon at one end and a Geneva gear mounted at the opposite end of'said shaft, a plurality of tripping lugspivotally mounted on the outer face of said gear, a plurality of fixed stop pins projecting from the face of the gear, said-tripping lugs being adapted to bear against said stop pins when swung out into their operative radial position.

. 2. In a machine of the class described, a counter shaft, a counter mounted thereon at one end and a Geneva gear mounted at the opposite end of said shaft, a plurality of tripping lugs pivotally mounted on the outer face of said gear, a plurality of fixed stop pins projecting from the face of said gear, said tripping lugs being adapted to bear against said stop pins when swung out into their operative radial position, and a plurality of spring arms adapted to cooper- .ate with each of said tripping lugs for holding said tripping lugs against said stop pins when said lugs are in their outer radial position.

8. In a machine of the class described, a counter shaft having 2. Geneva gear mountsheets or bills have been;

ed thereon, a plurality of tripping lugs piv- -for holding same in their outer radial position, an intermediate driving wheel, a tripout lever, said tripping lugs being adapted to depress said trip-out lever for bringing it, out of cooperation with said driving wheel.

4:. In a machine of the class described, a pair of driving wheels, support means, a tubular stud screwed in said support means, a sleeve mounted on said stud, an intermediate driving wheel mounted on said sleeve, and means for normally tending to push said intermediate driving wheel into and out of driving engagement with said pair ofdriving wheels. I

' 5. In a machine of the class described, a

pair of driving wheels, support means, a

tubular stud fixed to said support means, a sleeve mounted on said stud, an intermediate driving wheel mounted on said sleeve,

means for normally tending to push said intermediate driving wheel out of driving engagement with said pair of driving wheels, said means comprising a spring confined in the central bore of said tubular stud for pushing the sleeve and intermediate driving wheel outwardly along said stud and out of driving connection with the driving wheel.

6. In a machine of the class described, a counter-shaft, an intermediate driving wheel, a trip-out lever normally in engagement with said driving wheel, and means on said shaft adapted to engage wit-h said tripout lever for bringing it out of cooperation with said driving wheel.

7. In a machine of the class described, a

shaft, a Geneva gear mounted on said shaft,

a plurality of tripping lugs pivotally mounted on said Geneva gear, and means for holding said lugs in operative radial positions. 8. In a machine of the-class described, a shaft, at Geneva gear mounted on said shaft, a plurality of tripping lugs pivotally mounted on said Geneva gear, means for holding said lugs in inoperative positions and means cooperating with said holding means for holding the lugs in operative position. a

9. In a machine of the class described, a shaft, a Geneva gear mounted on said shaft,

a plurality of tripping lugs having hub portions with recesses thereon pivotally mounted on said Geneva gear, and a plurality of spring arms adapted to cooperate with the recesses in the hub portions in'said tripping lugs for holding said lugs in operative or inoperative positions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this'27th da of June, 1923.

L CHARL S L. BURDICK. 

